Harry Potter and the Six Stones
by soulwithwings
Summary: Harry is locked up in his room again. When and if he gets to Hogwarts, will Hermione's 'surprise' be more than the three bargained for? R+R, please....?


///...Harry.../// A girl with grey stringy hair and haunting yellow eyes peered mournfully over her half-spectacles directly at him.  
///...Are you there, Harry?...///  
///...Harry Potter!... ...Harry Potter! ...Harry! HARRY POTTER!/// The voice that had only moments ago thundered in Harry's head faded away like a mist as he sat bolt upright in bed.  
  
It was the beginning of a new day for the residents on Privet Drive. Not one that could be bothered by a fifteen-year-old's nightmares. Harry had awoken from a very peculiar dream. Someone in the distance was calling his name, but who was it? It didn't look like anyone he recognized. All Harry could do now at such an early hour was try and go back to bed. But despite however tired he was, he just couldn't fall back asleep.  
  
He sat up and rubbed his lightning-bolt scare, as though that would trigger the memory. He sighed and looked over to his clock. 5:00am. Any moment now he knew Vernon and Petunia would want him for something.  
"HARRY POTTER!" A voice rumbled. Harry sighed and opened his door before heading downstairs. He sat down in front of his uncle regretfully. "Do you have any idea what time it is!" It was more of an exclamation than a question.  
"It's... It's five o'clock, uncle. Five in the morning..." He spoke quietly and avoided his uncle's eye contact. The man, very purple-faced and angry looking gripped Harry's chin and forced eyes to stare back at his own dark blue ones.  
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't send you off to boarding school!" Harry noted the arrival of his least favorite cousin Dudley, whom he had lovingly christened 'the pig in a wig.'  
'He must have been woken up by Uncle Vernon's subtle screaming,' Harry mused. "Well sir... I... I'm not sure what I've done sir, I-"  
"You very well do! What were you thinking turning Mrs. Arabella Figg's cats into lawn ornaments?! I've got half a mind to send you away!"  
"Well I already go to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry which is kind of like a board-" He watched Vernon's face grow pale and immediately knew he had done something wrong.  
"THAT'S IT," The man screamed, his face turning very many interesting shades of purple. "GO TO YOUR ROOM AND DON'T COME OUT UNTIL I SAY SO!"   
  
Harry watched sullenly as Dudley's eyes flickered with amusement. He sighed and walked back upstairs, and shut his door; grabbing his pen and parchment as he did so.  
Dear Ron,  
  
Hope you're fairing well. Apparently someone turned all my neighbour's cats into statues. Uncle Vernon is convinced it was me, and has again trapped me in my room. Give your parents my best wishes, and if I don't show up at school first thing, tell Dumbledore I might be a little late.  
  
-Harry  
  
The sun was just peeking up over the horizon as Hedwig flew back onto Harry's windowsill, mouse in beak. She was crunching down quite happily as Harry finished his letter. A few feathers littered his floor.  
"Hedwig," He grinned. "At least take that thing into your cage." Harry's uncle had finally allowed him to let Hedwig out once and a while. She thrust out her left leg and hooted loudly, revealing a stack of letters.  
"KEEP THAT BLOODY BIRD QUIET!" Vernon's voice bellowed up the stairs. Harry smiled despite the fact that he might be banned from Hogwarts. At least he had some consolation in the letters from his friends. He opened the stack and set the letter he was writing aside for a moment. He opened the first in the stack of three, and he immediately recognized Hermione's handwriting.  
  
Dear Harry,   
How are you? I hope your uncle and aunt are more lenient then when I last heard from you. Do you remember last year, when you where in the Tri-wizard Tournament? Well of course you do, I'm sure. Well now that we get to play Quidditch again, I think I'll try out for the team this year. I really do think I need some more extracurricular activities on my resume if I'm going to get a proper wizarding job! Hopefully that won't cut down too much on my homework. What position do you think I should try out for?  
  
I can't wait until we get back to Hogwarts! I've got a surprise for both you and Ron, but you'll both have to wait to see what it is! It's sort of strange though. It came with a riddle. Here it is. Maybe you can figure it out...?  
  
'I've seen many dawns, and will see many more,  
I will not break if I fall to the floor.  
I can be quiet as a mouse or as loud as an ox,  
I can be contained in many things, even in a box.  
I have no eyes, I have no hair,  
I have no senses, but I don't even care.  
There are many of me, but we all are one,  
Formed from the hottest of temperatures like those of the sun.  
Forget me, use me, hide me, if you dare...  
But I must give you proper warning, respect me, or beware!'  
  
Yours Truly,   
  
Hermione Granger  
Her name was signed with a flourish. Harry grinned. Hermione the perfectionist. Hopefully, for her sake, she'd ease up a bit. Harry read the riddle over several times but still couldn't think of anything that fit that description.  
The pen found its way to Harry's hand and he found himself writing again.  
  
Dear Hermione,  
  
So glad to hear from you. My uncle's trapped me in my room. I'm not sure when I'll be out. If you're thinking of joining the Quidditch team, I'd definitely try out for chaser or keeper. I don't think Fred and George would be willing to give up their roles as beaters anyway. I can't wait for you to show Ron and I what you got.  
  
-Harry  
  
The sun filtered in through Harry's window and cast patterns on his bedsheets. He made his bed and then picked up his second letter. The writing was slightly messy and jumbled.  
  
Harry-  
  
Hope you're doing well. You better be ready for this year at Hogwarts, Dumbledore has a few surprises for the lot of you! All the best. There should be some chocolate on the other side of this page. Sorry if it's a but squashed.  
  
-Hagrid  
  
Harry grinned and turned the paper over. There were some chocolate buttons in a little bag stuck to the other side. He carefully pulled them off and popped one into his mouth.  
  
Hagrid,  
  
Thank you very much for the chocolate. I'm alright, but I'd be better with out my uncle Vernon breathing down my neck. I can't wait to see what this next year at Hogwarts has in store! I'll make sure to visit you with Ron and Hermione when we get there.  
  
-Harry  
  
Harry had just finished attaching the three letters to Hewig's leg when a very old owl flew into his window, causing it to rattle rather loudly. A voice once again rang clear from downstairs.  
"What in blazes are you doing up there, boy?! KEEP IT DOWN!" Harry winced at both noises but opened the window to let Errol in. He had a rather large package held quite loosely in his talons. Harry took it from him gently. It was wrapped in brown paper. Tearing it off, the young wizard could quite clearly see some writing.   
'Harry, here's a birthday cake from us.' The Weasleys. They always remembered! Harry smiled. 'Hopefully Errol hasn't ruined it by flying into anything. Poor Pig has been feeling a little air-sick, so we couldn't send him out. If you'd like to come to the burrow, just write back on some of that brown paper, dear. Errol will know where to find us, and of course we will know where to find you. All the best!  
-Mrs.Weasley & the Rest'  
  
Hedwig was off seconds later with Errol far behind, struggling to keep up. Harry's response probably wouldn't even reach them before the summer was over, at this rate...  
  
The cake was vanilla, with chocolate icing and blue lettering. It read 'Happy Birthday Harry' in sparkling letters. Harry tore himself a piece, and carefully trying to keep from getting sticky he enjoyed his own piece of birthday cake.  
  
*****  
End of the first chapter!! ^_^ Heehee! This is sort of a teaser. Tell me if you like please!  
Dedicated to: CanadianPrincess (Ann. =P See? I told you I'd write a Harry Potter fanfic!)  
***** 


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